chapter 10 - work & family Flashcards
What aspect of FMLA changed in 2010?
The 2010 NDAA amendments to the FMLA provide that an eligible employee may take FMLA leave for any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is on (or has been notified of an impending call to) “covered active duty” in the Armed Forces.
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
Allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave:
When ill or on the birth, adoption, or placement of a foster child
To care for a sick child, parent, or spouse
People who take family leave will suffer career penalties as a result of doing so.
Know details regarding the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. (multiple questions)
Pregnancy Discrimination Act, 1978
Prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy and related medical conditions
Requires pregnancy be treated similarly to other temporary medical conditions
Which of the following is true of the relationships among sex, marital status, and children discussed in the text?
Child-care assistance and employer outcomes:
> One way that some employers assist employees with child-care needs is through employer-sponsored child-care assistance programs.
> Study: Employees who used an on-site child-care center had higher performance and lower absenteeism than employees who used an off-site center or who had no children.
Same-sex couples in family relationships
> In nearly 90% of same-sex households, both partners are participating in the workforce.
> Lesbians earn more than heterosexual women, and lesbian mothers are perceived as more competent than heterosexual mothers.
> Prior to legislation including same sex couples, some organizations had already begun recognizing same-sex couples’ families through inclusive partner medical and retirement benefits, tax assistance when those benefits were taxable, and inclusion of same-sex partners among the family members that the company considered covered by the FMLA.
How is flexible scheduling helpful?
Some organizations offer flexible scheduling, paid and unpaid leave, job sharing, telecommuting, referral services, and on-site childcare as well as part-time work.
Flexible schedules
Flex time
Permission to vary start and stop times on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis
Requires employees to work for a minimum number of hours for a specified period
Reduces tardiness, absenteeism, intentions to quit, and turnover
Highly beneficial to those responsible for child or elder care but often comes with career costs
Elder care, religious, community, school, or other non-work commitments can make flexible scheduling desirable to all employees.
Be able to compare promotion rate and earnings of men v. women.
Research findings
Promotion rates
> Higher for married men and lower for married women
> Higher for men with children in preschool
> Highest for never-married, childless women
Perceived competency rates
> Low for mothers
> High for businesswomen and childless women
Can employers differentiate between single v married employees?
While most states don’t clearly ban asking about marital status, it’s illegal in many states to make employment decisions based on a candidate’s marital status. Even at the federal level, asking about marital status or parental status can violate Title VII.
The Equal Pay Act and Title VII
Counteract discrimination in employment-related matters, including compensation
What is known to be true about employees who take a leave of absence?
Only 5% of the nearly 12,000 managers in the Judiesch and Lyness study had taken leaves of absence, but those who did were less likely to be subsequently promoted and received lower salary increases than those who did not take leave.
As an example, a 35-year-old manager who had taken a leave of absence would have had a 36% probability of promotion and would have received $7,800 in increases. In contrast, a manager who had similar qualifications and time on the job but had not taken a leave of absence would have had a 44% probability of promotion and would have received $8,500 in salary increases.
In a study of Australian employees of a public sector agency, researchers found that employees who took leaves of absence were penalized career-wise, and these penalties were viewed as legitimate, despite the employer’s statement of support for work and family initiatives.
Because women are more likely to take leaves of absence than men, women’s promotions and earnings are most negatively affected by taking leaves.
What is the wage disparity (percentage) between working mothers and other employees?
Education affects a woman’s propensity to work when parenting.
> 83% of highly educated women participate compared to 50% of high school dropouts.
Promotion rates
> Higher for married men and lower for married women
> Higher for men with children in preschool
> Highest for never-married, childless women
Perceived competency rates
> Low for mothers
> High for businesswomen and childless women
What does rigidity mean?
lack of control over scheduling of work hours, input for starting and quitting times and control over break times
